When my [Mexican] husband and I first started dating over five years ago, I was a bit nervous to try Mexican food—especially with all the jalapenos and other ingredients that I saw prepared in the food. However, one summer, our godchildren came for a visit and they taught me how to make authentic Mexican chicken enchiladas with salsa verde (green sauce). It has been a favorite in our house ever since! I found out that my husband’s favorite food in the entire world is enchiladas and it was the one thing that I learned in Mexican cooking that helped me steal his heart ;)

So first, I’d like to provide my readers with some background information about enchiladas, especially because I was curious myself! The word enchilada comes from the word enchilar which means, “to add chile pepper to.” There’s different ways to make enchiladas and you can fill them with almost anything: meat, vegetables, seafood, cheese, and a variety of other things. Enchiladas originated in Mexico where rolled maize (corn) tortillas can be dated back to the indigenous cultures of Mexico (Aztec and Mayan, as well as others). Enchiladas are popular in Mexico and Central American countries like Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, and Nicaragua but are prepared and enjoyed all over the world and it’s easy to taste why.

I’m going to give you my salsa verde enchiladas recipe that was passed down to me. *I do make a very mild sauce but you can modify the recipe if you like more spice by adding more jalapenos. 

Here’s a step by step instruction of how to make it with pictures and all for your enjoyment

Authentic Mexican Chicken Enchiladas

Ingredients you will need:

10-Tomatillos
2-jalapenos (tip: if you see lines on the outside of the pepper, it means its more hot than one that does not have lines on the outside)
1-clove of garlic
1-yellow onion
2 or 3- chicken breasts (I use boneless/skinless)
Salt (I don’t measure but I’d guess at least a teaspoon)
Flour or corn tortillas (corn is traditionally used)
Vegetable oil
Water
Chicken Bouillon *optional
Mozzarella cheese or queso fresco
Sour Crème * optional
Onion topping * optional
Other toppings (lettuce, peppers, olives, etc) * optional

Step 1: Wash your chicken breasts and boil them on the stove top for a good 30 minutes or until they rise in the water and are done. 

Step 2: Peel your tomatillos and rip off the stems of the jalapenos. Wash them and boil them on the stovetop too (this will give you something to do while the chicken is boiling). 

Step 3: Prep your onion and cut in half (after you have peeled away the outside layer). Put half in the water with the chicken and the other half straight in your blender. 

Step 4: Prepare your clove of garlic and peel away outer layer. Throw straight in your blender. 

Step 5: When the tomatillos and jalapenos are soft, turn off the heat and with a spoon, take them out of the pot and straight in your blender. Add salt (again I don’t measure but I’d guess at least a teaspoon). Turn on your blender and let it blend together well. Pour your sauce in a pot and add a little water. Next you can add chicken bouillon powder in the sauce for extra flavor but this is optional. My husband really loves the flavor with the chicken bouillon powder though and it was by his request that I started putting it in the sauce. Your sauce is now fully prepped. 

Step 6: Next, take out your chicken and with a knife, cut up the chicken and shred it thinly so you can roll it in a tortilla in a later step. 

Step 7: In a frying pan, pour some vegetable oil and put a tortilla in the pan to fry. When it’s done put it straight in the green sauce (salsa verde) and then directly on your plate. Add chicken to the middle of the tortilla, and roll it over. Do this until you have a full plate of enchiladas. 

Step 8: Lastly, add your mozzarella or queso fresco or any other cheese you like to the top of your enchiladas (to melt, toss it in the microwave for two minutes). Feel free at this point to add any extra toppings like onions, sour crème, lettuce, more peppers, and cilantro. ENJOY!

Anastasia R.D. Lopez is a newlywed who is currently pursuing her Master of Arts in Educational Leadership in Higher Education and Student Affairs from Western Michigan University (WMU) in Kalamazoo, Michigan. She is a Career Educator and Advisor at WMU for the College of Arts and Sciences. Anastasia received her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration in Hospitality and Tourism Management degree from Robert Morris University in Moon Township, PA.

She studied abroad in Rome, Italy and traveled to 14 countries so far. She’s passionate about study abroad and international education, loves bowling, and collects global ornaments for her international Christmas tree. Find her on twitter (@StasiaDiamantis) and linkedin or email her at stasia.diamantis [at] gmail.com. She's also the Global Education Editor here at Wandering Educators.